Mindfulness - guidance system for life

The compact guide “Mindfulness for every day” presents practical exercises and rituals for conscious living

The practice of mindfulness has a long tradition that goes back to the encounter between Eastern and Western wisdom teachings. It stands for the conscious handling of life's challenges and - like a musical instrument or a sport - should be practiced daily with body and soul.

Finding and taking your place in life

The words "mindful" or "mindfulness" are rarely used in everyday language these days. Nevertheless, there are enough critical situations in everyday life in which it is important to be mindful, even if the term itself does not appear: in the short term, when difficult decisions have to be made in a split second and with presence of mind, or in the long term in times of transition or upheaval in one's life.

The theologian Dr. Norbert Weidinger and his wife, the pedagogue and therapist Gertrud Weidinger , have published numerous books on liturgical education and the use of signs, symbols and rituals in everyday life and in teaching. In their joint compact guide "Mindfulness for Every Day", they encourage people to rediscover mindfulness as a "guidance system" that helps them find themselves, their place in life and their inner balance, as well as a kind of "early warning system" that shakes them out of habits that have become pointless, out of haste or overwork.

Importance of mindfulness

In order to understand the nuances of mindfulness, it is useful to approach it using terms in our everyday language. These include the adjectives attentive, appreciative, reverent, cautious and conscious - but also action words such as perceive, sense, concentrate and focus. Those who use these words distance themselves from inattention and inattention as well as from distraction, mental absence or indifference, which takes everything thoughtlessly and for granted. It advocates a gentle, courageous and conscious approach to the challenges of life that stand in everyone's way every day as stumbling blocks, but also point the way into the future.

In the early 1970s, psychologists and psychotherapists discovered mindfulness as a key term in the study and treatment of stress and its consequences. According to them, mindfulness is the "awareness that arises when we pay attention intentionally and non-judgmentally in the present moment."

Mindfulness in everyday life

It is particularly important to be mindful of yourself in the chaos of everyday life. It is necessary to get out of the hamster wheel, at least for a short time, to break the routine and recharge. To achieve mindfulness, breathing exercises, sitting or walking meditations and other rituals are recommended, which have been part of Buddhist monasticism for 2,500 years. The roots of the discovery of mindfulness lie in the West's encounter with wise men and women of the East who live in the spirit of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Even though mindfulness has its historical roots in the wisdom of peoples and religions, it can be implemented as a principle of an open, receptive lifestyle without a firm connection to a religion, even from a purely humanistic conviction. "Life needs mindfulness. It awakens the innermost being of a person, disturbs, demands clarification, asks for alternatives and provides impulses for action," is how the authors summarize the purpose of their book.

Book tip:
Gertrud and Dr. Norbert Weidinger: Mindfulness for every day. Compact guide. Exercises and rituals for conscious living; Mankau Verlag, 1st edition November 2015, paperback, 11.5 x 16.5 cm, full color, 127 pages, 7.99 euros (D) / 8.20 euros (A), ISBN 978-3-86374-261-4.

Link recommendations:

• More about the book "Mindfulness for Every Day"
• Reading sample in PDF format
• More about Dr. Norbert Weidinger
• More about Gertrud Weidinger
• Internet forum with the authors Gertrud and Dr. Norbert Weidinger

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